Why Hire a Business Coach

In the world of business, there always seems to be this or that trend at any particular period in time. Recently, sales coaching seems to be all the rage, right up there with remote working and the ‘smart’-everything trend.

Long gone are the days when working with a business coach was interpreted as a sign of being weak (think Tony Soprano visiting a shrink!). It is trending but not trendy.
And for good reason.

Business and entrepreneurship may be rewarding when it eventually works out, but it is definitely no walk in the park. See, a lot of companies start running out of the gates like it’s a 100-meter sprint; Red-hot, full of ideas, momentum, and optimism. Then poof! Things come to a screeching halt.

Consider this – according to 2016 figures from the U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics, about half of all new businesses do not survive past the fifth year. Loosely interpreted, this means about one in every two new businesses will not make it past year five of existence. And who knows, you might think you have it all figured out, but could yours become another sad statistic?
You kind of see where I’m heading with this, right? If you haven’t, I will be direct.

Enlisting the services of a battle-hardened professional business coach could drastically decrease the chances of your business failing. As a business and sales coach in Atlanta, GA myself, I could be accused of bias, but in real sense, there are many benefits businesses – large and small – can gain from enlisting sales and business coaching services.

Receive Guidance

One of the most obvious reasons you need to hire a business coach is to have someone who has ‘been-there-done-that’ to help you navigate the murky waters of business, both inside and outside of the company.

Einstein once said that the definition of insanity is doing the same thing over and over and expecting different results. While I’m not saying you, as a business owner, are so stuck in your ways as to think outside the box, but stagnation in business is a pretty common pothole. You are there, busting your butt, and trying every trick in the book to boost that bottom line. It can start to feel like you are drowning in to do’s and responsibility.

If it makes you feel better, know that you are not alone in this. When you start noticing signs of stagnation setting in, don’t wait until the end to seek help. Now would be a good time to bring in a business or sales coach.

Why again?

A Coach can see the Forest for the Trees

Most business owners have many brilliant ideas for their company. But as you too well know, anyone can dream, but bringing those dreams into reality is the hard part.

When it comes to business, consistent, planned execution is a big challenge. At times, you may get too embroiled in it all that it becomes difficult to know where to start and what to tackle first.

One thing that business coaches (the good ones that is) bring to the table helping companies assess their plans, evaluate if they are realistic, and determine the odds of success. In other words, help chart a clear path for the business owner to follow. Personally, I like to work with proven winners. Hire a coach that has actually sweated out the monthly payroll, who understands sleepless nights because they have, “been there done that” managed to not only survive but thrive. Statistics show we rise to the economic level of the five people we hang around the most. If you are hiring a business coach make sure they themselves are successful business people with proven success. The actual coaching of letting you find the answers yourself is helpful but real world wisdom sure does come in handy when trying to solve a very real business problem!

A Business Coach will tell it like it is

If you find yourself isolated and the people surrounding you tell you what you want to hear, that’s when you start making mistakes.

As an Atlanta, Georgia based business coach, I can tell you for a fact that a good coach is a great listener and someone who doesn’t sugarcoat the truth.
But…

Counsel that always lends an Ear

Anyone who has run a company will admit that it’s not always easy to talk to people about your most pressing internal concerns; whether they be a life partner, a peer, employees or friends. For some reason they don’t always seem to get it. Couple that with all the noise surrounding you both internal and external, and work-related stress begins to rear its head.

With a professional coach, you have someone working as your soundboard, providing that peace and quiet you need to focus, express thoughts out loud without judgment while keeping it all confidential. At the same time, she will help you in addressing the priorities and challenges in your way.

You will make more Money

Seriously.

There is a certain misconception among some business owners that a sales coach is an unnecessary expense you can do without.

On the face of it, it may look so. In truth though, an experienced professional coach (and I insist on these two qualities) – especially women coaches- will only make your business thrive. Yes, that may sound biased but many women are natural born communicators and empathetic by nature. Through their experience, they will assist you in developing long-term plans that will enable your business to function more efficiently while guaranteeing profits.

Add to that mix a professional who can double up as not only your business mentor and confidant, but also a marketing manager, training coordinator and sales director, and that’s a business asset right there!

Last Words

It’s good to point out that business and/or sales coaching is not a magic bullet for all problems. Sometimes, you just need to take a long hard look at what you are doing and why you are doing it. Take a weekend retreat and silently sit with your thoughts. An “aha” moment or insight is bound to bubble up. However, my business and sales coaching is always free for clients because the expense disappears next to the increased revenue and improved operations. It’s a matter of faith taking the leap to spend the money for some. However, if you follow the suggestions above you will find someone worthy of your trust.

As with every other profession, business and sales coaching you have great coaches and horrible ones. Do your homework diligently before hiring a business coach because the last thing you need is another business headache.

You can be sure, when you find a good match, the time and money is worth it. I have kept clients for years. Over time, a valuable coach becomes a true extension of the business team.

Thank you for reading! If you enjoyed this blog post, please forward to a friend or join my community at www.joycebone.com

Joyce Bone is a motivational speaker, author and business coach from Atlanta, Georgia. She can be reached at joyce@joycebone.com.